But now an an ATV driver in the area says he was charged by a bear fitting the same description on Tuesday, sparking fears that a rogue bear is on the loose in cottage country.

The ATV driver was attacked on a trail only five kilometres from last Tuesday’s mauling near Upper Big Chute Road and Kinnear Sideroad.

In both cases, the bear noticed the men from afar and charged up to 120 metres in their direction. Marois climbed up a tree but was pursued and had his calves shredded, while the ATV driver sped away without incident.

The bear who attacked Marois has not been located, and a spokesperson with the Ministry of Natural Resources said it’s “potentially” the same animal.

Meanwhile, other area residents are reporting sightings and attacks.

One large black bear was spotted practising its back stroke at a country club in nearby Midland, Ont., at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday. “We were sitting on the golfers’ patio and then we see this black flash,” said Teresa Grattan, an employee at Brookle Golf and Country Club. “By the time we got to the edge of the putting green, the bear was floating on his back in the water.”

Golfers were ordered off the course while the bear swam up an obstacle creek near the 10th hole, then proceeded up the course, disappearing into the brush somewhere near the 17th.“He was so bold, it was amazing,” Grattan said. “Now they’re saying, ‘have you got your nine iron in case the bear comes out?’”

Grattan said bears had not been seen at the club in years, and this one was so out-of-place that the first person to see the bear yelled out, “Cougar!”

Bob Duncanson, president of the Georgian Bay cottagers’ association, said bears are a going concern in the area, especially of late.

“We seemed to have more bears last summer, so I’m anticipating we’ll have more this summer too,” he said.

After a rash of attacks, sightings and break-ins last summer, Duncanson and the Ministry of Natural Resources “dusted off the bear file,” sending out advisories and conducting a seminar on bear safety.

“You’ve got to recognize, bears have to put on two or three times their body weight over the summer. They’re basically eating machines. They’re driven by their hunger.”

While black bears are mostly vegetarian, a shortage of berries and seeds can lead bears to look elsewhere for fat, whether in the drip tray of a barbecue, a bird feeder or “anything that’s kind of fragrant,” including candles, lotions and human flesh.

Duncanson said cottagers are nervous about “what bears can or might do” if they don’t get enough food. “The whole of nature seems to be about two or three weeks ahead of itself this year,” he said, adding that might apply to bears, too, who perhaps have come out of hibernation early expecting more food than is available.

At the site of the Marois attack, the Ministry of Natural Resources has set two traps and posted signs warning that a bear attack occurred there.